Jonny Bairstow dismissal: British, Australian Prime Ministers wade into Ashes row

Jonny Bairstow dismissal: British, Australian Prime Ministers wade into Ashes row

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Jul 4, 2023 - 10:35
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Jonny Bairstow dismissal: British, Australian Prime Ministers wade into Ashes row
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Jonny Bairstow’s dismissal during the Lord’s Test, which Australia won by 43 runs, reached the highest political offices of both countries. Amid allegations of playing against the ‘spirit of the game’, cheating and verbal abuse, political leaders have now waded in.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, via a spokesperson, decried Bairstow’s dismissal — who was stumped during what he appeared to think was a pause in play.

Bairstow was stumped by Australia’s wicket-keeper Alax Carey in clever fashion on Day 5 of the Lord’s Test.

Bairstow ducked a bouncer from Cameron Green and started to walk out of the crease even when the ball was in play. Carey, aware of Bairstow’s mistake, was quick to hit the stumps with an underarm throw. The appeal for the stumping dismissal caught Bairstow off guard and while Australia skipper Pat Cummins had an opportunity to withdraw the appeal, he didn’t.

Eventually, England were bowled out on 327 chasing a target of 371 despite skipper Ben Stokes making a heroic 155.

“The prime minister agrees with Ben Stokes. He said he simply wouldn’t want to win a game in the manner Australia did. The game did provide an opportunity to see Ben Stokes at his best and it was an incredible Test match and he has confidence England will bounce back at Headingley,” Sunak’s spokesperson said.

“The game did provide an opportunity to see Ben Stokes at his best and it was an incredible Test match — he has confidence that England will bounce back,” he added.

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On Tuesday Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, a keen cricket fan, shot back. He claimed to be “proud” of Australia’s “men’s and women’s cricket teams, who have both won their opening two Ashes matches against England.”

“Same old Aussies -– always winning!” he added. “(I) look forward to welcoming them home victorious.”

Sunak — who watched the contest with Prince William from the Lord’s pavilion on Saturday — did deplore abuse directed at the Australians by Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) members.

Three individuals have had their MCC membership suspended pending an investigation.

“He thinks it was right that the MCC have taken swift action to suspend any members accused of poor behaviour,” the spokesman said.

Sunak, though, has no intention of lodging an official protest, to reprise the serious diplomatic strains created by England’s “Bodyline” tactics in the infamous 1932-33 Ashes Down Under.

After the match, Stokes questioned the dismissal.

“When is it justified that the umpires have called over? Is the on-field umpires making movement… is that enough to call over? I’m not sure,” Stokes said.

“I am not disputing the fact it is out because it is out. Would I want to win a game in that manner? The answer for me is no.”

Bairstow’s dismissal also led to some off-the-field altercations as a few Australian players, including Usman Khawaja, were allegedly abused by MCC members in the Long Room at the Lord’s.

Former England captain Geoffrey Boycott has asked for Australia to apologise in the aftermath of the run out controversy.

“Australia need to have a think about what they did and make a full public apology,” Boycott wrote in The Daily Telegraph.

“We all make mistakes in the heat of the moment. People will think better of the Australians if they put their hands up and say “we got it wrong”.

“That is the way to go. Let’s see over the next few days if they are man enough to do that.”

With England down 0-2 in the Ashes, coach Brendon McCullum feels the incident can galvanise the hosts.

“In the end, they made a play, they’ve got to live with that. We would have made a different play but that’s life,” said the former New Zealand captain.

“In time, we’ll see, but I get the feeling that it might have an effect on them.

“I don’t know if it’s anger, but our unit is galvanised. There are times as a coach where you’ve got to reduce emotion because it’s going to bubble over and you can make poor decisions, but there’s times when you allow emotion to go because it’s going to galvanise the unit.

“That’s what I felt this emotion did for the side. I looked around the group and the guys were a little upset. If that helps us to win those key moments in the next Test, then I’m all for it.”

The third Test gets underway at Headingley on Thursday, with Australia aiming to secure a much coveted Ashes win away from home.

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